Wet conditions that hampered fieldwork in Iowa turned around last week and into this week and farmers have been able to get back to the harvest. Iowa State University Extension agronomist Roger Elmore says there shouldn’t be too much long-term impact from the wet conditions. He says the most serious problem could be some soil compaction as farmers got into the wet fields.
Elmore says the wet weather also led to some increased mold growth on some corn in the state. He says the impact of the delay depends a lot on where you are. Elmore says there could be more corn down that is tougher to pick up with the rain, but overall he says things are looking up.
Elmore says the wetter weather shouldn’t hurt the corn moisture all that much. He says you’ll see a few points of fluctuation in moisture, and he says the downside is with shorter days, the drydown may not be as rapid. Elmore says overall he’s heard good news when it comes to yields. Elmore with yield monitors, there are a lot of strips that are amazing people as they harvest the crops. But, he says the people who aren’t seeing as good a yields probably aren’t talking as much.
The state Agriculture Department report Monday showed that sixty-three percent of the corn has been harvested, one percent behind last year’s progress and five points behind the five-year average.. Eighty-eight percent of the soybeans have been harvested, six percent behind last year’s harvest at this time and nine percent behind the five-year average.